Harrison PD, K9 Essex, WCPD Track Down Car Thief Suspect After Crash

HARRISON, NY — The Westchester County Police Department, a K-9 Officer named Essex and the Harrison Police Department worked together to find the trail of a car thief who bailed out of a stolen pickup and fled into a residential neighborhood in Purchase, according to police.

Once tracking canine Essex was on the hunt, along with her handler, Police Officer Osterman, it was only a matter of time before the fugitive was in custody.

The excitement began at 6:13 p.m. on Thursday, when the Real Time Crime Center broadcast an alert that a stolen Ford F350 was spotted on the Hutchinson River Parkway. Westchester County Police Officer Fino soon located the truck and tried to stop it near the I-287 interchange. The driver refused to pull over and instead sped away, according to police.

Fino followed the pickup truck onto Westchester Avenue and then Purchase Street, where it crashed into some cables that were supporting a utility pole. The driver, who was wearing a yellow jumpsuit, ran off, pursued by Harrison Police. Westchester County police took the vehicle’s sole passenger into custody.

The WCPD and Harrison PD established a perimeter as the suspect fled through yards in the Purchase Lane-Highland Road area. After Essex arrived on the scene, the bloodhound quickly picked up the scent of the fleeing driver from a seat cover on the driver’s side of the truck.

Essex led officers on a track for about 10 minutes before bringing them to some tall bushes in the back yard of a home. Essex knew her man was hiding in there because of her nose, but the officers didn't need to follow the scent any longer — it turns out a bright yellow jumpsuit makes poor camouflage when hiding amongst the greenery of nature.

The 25-year-old Yonkers man was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, failure to obey a police officer and traffic violations. The passenger, who didn't make a run for it, was released without charges.